SAM DALLING looks back on the big moments from the third day of the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand
Report: New Zealand push to the front
Simon Hughes: Kyle Jamieson is quite a find
Today marked 10 years since Virat Kohli’s Test bow, that coming against the West Indies in Kingston. Dismissed twice cheaply by Fidel Edwards in that game. Kohli has long since become cricketing royalty. In India he has achieved godlike status, and somehow, he carries it. Being in the glare of billions cannot be easy. Yes, it comes with its perks but there are plenty of pressures.
Much to the crowd’s disappointment, their hero started the day on 44 and having battled away for 132 balls, his score remained that way. The only other man to average in excess of 50 in all three formats of the game is Devon Conway, who sits 68 international hundreds behind him.
Not since 2013 have both sets of openers successfully negotiated the first 20 overs of a Test match. Here it was achieved in contrasting manners, albeit the result was the same.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill displayed plenty of attacking intent yesterday, wandering towards the bowlers to negate the not inconsiderable swing. It worked for skipper Kohli in England back in 2018, and it worked here: they raced to 37 in the first 10 overs, and had reached 62 by the 20 over mark.
Conway and Tom Latham on the other hand were much more watchful, preferring to allow the ball to come to them. There were flashes of beauty but were largely conservative, reaching 36 between them for their first 120 balls. Patience very much a virtue.
Ravichandran Ashwin found a bit of spin as the day wore on
Worthy a mention only because of New Zealand’s brilliance in this department. Since the start of 2019, they’ve held 91 per cent of chances offered. So, it was something of a surprise when Tim Southee shelled Ravindra Jadeja on 11 from the bowling of his new-ball partner Trent Boult.
Tom Latham had already pouched a couple in the morning session, the first a smart grab to the right of his head to remove Rishabh Pant. The flash of Pant’s blade ensured the ball travelled at high-velocity, the catch taken after the Dukes had passed Latham. Normal service was quickly removed when Ross Taylor held onto a nick from Ishant Sharma.
Yes, yes, change the record. But with so much time lost to the weather already, a morning session consisting of just 24.4 overs hardly helps. An over rate of just 14 per hour is much maligned, so just a dozen in 60 minutes is surely unforgiveable? In mitigation, New Zealand have no frontline spinner and slightly damp outfield but still.
A decade since Test cricket met Virat Kohli
The only way to stop this is to hit teams where it hurts. And that is not in the pocket. Penalty runs? WTC points deductions? Something has to give. This day 43 years ago was “dubbed” the night of speed, Jim Hines, Ronnie Ray Smith and Charles Greene all breaking the 10-second barrier in the 100m sprint. If we allow this to continue, cricket will slip under that 10 mark for the opposite reasons.
This match has been dubbed the Ultimate Test. Many a fine player has dominated the first-class game only to fail at the very top level and return to the regions. No shame in that. And plenty struggle to adapt to start with.
But in Kyle Jamieson and Devon Conway New Zealand have a pair defying cricketing gravity. The former has 44 wickets at 14.69 apiece, while the latter has 360 runs to his name in five innings at 72. Such is Conway’s calmness, it is easy to forget his inexperience. If he has a weakness, it is yet to be discovered.
Certain county cricket fans will delight: come Friday the pair will be lining up for Surrey and Somerset respectively, Conway returning to Taunton where he was playing club cricket at the same time Virat Kohli made his international bow. Exciting for the domestic game. Less exciting if you’re an opposition fan.
India took the big wicket of Devon Conway late in the day
Who went bye-less in the opening innings of his final Test appearance. No mean feat given the ball was hooping all over the shop, particularly yesterday. Understatedly brilliant. Much like his entire career then.
Shortly after 5pm, it happened. One turned. Devon Conway had danced down the wicket and got himself tied up. There was an excitable yelp from Ravichandran, ostensibly dressed as a leg before shout, but in reality, it was more a celebration of what might be to come.
And so, it did come. In his next over, in fact, where a slightly slower delivery forced a mistake from Tom Latham, who drove to Kohli who jumped nimbly to claim the catch at short cover. The crowd erupted. As early as yesterday, significant footmarks began to appear on the pitch, and Ashwin is the only man in Test history to dismiss left-handers more than 200 times. New Zealand still have two more to come.
Playing his first Test since having his hand fractured by Pat Cummins at Sydney, Shami was by far the standout seamer in Virat Kohli’s attack. Much like when he toured England in India back in 2018 though, he had little luck.
Beating the bat regularly, he switched between over and around the wicket for precious little rewards. He did though cause both Devon Conway and Tom Latham issues. He deserved a better return and maybe tomorrow it will come.
Kane Williamson was not out at the close
We live in an age of technology. Who could have imagined the digital enhancements we have now only a decade ago? Hawkeye has evolved into DRS, cameras float gracefully across the pitch suspended from zip wires, while statistical analysis, led by companies like CricViz, is number-crunching erotica.
And sightscreens are not immune from advancement. The stiff-wheeled, heavier-than-any-object-known-to-human-kind are long gone, replaced by essentially giant TV screens. They oscillate between white and a variety of adverts as appropriate, but as with anything technological, are not immune from error.
As Trent Boult set off to commence his 22nd over, Ravindra Jadeja stood away, the sightscreen having turned baby blue. Half-a-dozen minutes the players waited, a quintet of groundstaff climbing ladders to drape a sheet over the offending area. Naturally, the innings drew to a close the very next delivery.
Aside from a 30-minute delay in starting, there was thankfully relatively little unscheduled toing and froing on the third day. After yesterday’s debacle, it was merciful. The one such occasion where there was a break in play had a touch of farce though.
With the sky as blue as it has been across the past 72 hours, some light drizzle saw the umpires direct the players off. New Zealand’s openers dashed for cover, but India, in such a hurry to leave the field yesterday, huddled around the sawdust at the end of the bowler’s mark.
Almost as soon as the hover cover had appeared, out jogged the third umpire to chat to his fellow officials. Off went the covers: as you were gents. Six minutes that will never be gotten back. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” chanted the crowd with an exquisite blend of humour and frustration.
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